As if through a mirror
by sailormoonwriter
Summary: After the defeat of Queen Beryl, the Senshi lost their memories and reverted to being normal girls. However, a certain group took note of their abilities, and now see them as a threat. On top of that, Usagi finds herself in a love with a friend who doesn't remember her.
1. Of Crushes and Lost Memories

Welcome one and all to my first Sailor Moon fanfic. I hope you will all enjoy reading it as much as I will enjoy writing it. This story will contain a femslash pairing, just as a heads up for anyone who doesn't like that kind of thing.

The story is written in a first person present viewpoint, since I find I write better that way. It takes place in the anime after the first season(is that the right word?) and ignores Sailor Moon R and all the others. Don't worry, all nine of the regular senshi will appear in this story at some point or another.

**DISCLAIMER**: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.

* * *

Minako Aino. A spunky, pretty, and clutzy blonde with dreams of being a singer.

Also the source of my inability to get my homework done. Don't get me wrong, it's not her fault. It's not anybody's fault, if you really think about it. You see, I kinda have a, well, a crush on her. Yes, me Usagi, in love with a girl. Pathetic. And even funnier, she doesn't even know me. At least, she doesn't now. She used to, but the was before the final battle with Queen Beryl. After we defeated her, all five of us senshi lost our memories of everything that had happened, including those which marked us as friends.

Then how do I remember it? Luna and Artemis decided to bring my memories back, though they haven't explained why yet. I haven't had to do any fighting and, to be honest, boredom is driving me crazy. I'm feeling less clumsy these days, something very unusual.

"Usagi!"

I jerk my head up as I hear my mother calling me.

"Yes mother?" I reply.

"There's somebody here I want you to meet."

I patter down the stairs to see what my mother is talking about. It's probably some random kid she's watching over. Recently, she started offering to look after children whose parents can't do it themselves for some reason or another. Sometimes it's only for a coupler days, or it can be weeks.

I reach the front door, and find the last person I ever expected to see on the porch.

"Usagi," my mother begins, "meet Minako Aino. Minako, this is my daughter Usagi."

Minako smiles at me. "Hi Usagi. Nice to meet you."

"N-nice to m-meet y-you," I stammer before turning and running. I hear mother calling my name, but ignore her and run straight out the back door. Creeping around the side of the house, I listen for the sound of the front door closing, then proceed to take the shortest route to Naru's house. I told her about my 'romantic situation' a while ago, and she was surprisingly understanding. She invites me up into room, and I spill the whole story after she closes the door.

"Here's your chance to get to know her. This is a great opportunity."

"But Naru-chan," I protest, "I won't be able to keep myself from staring at her. Do you know what the first thing my eyes fell on when I looked at her? Her chest!" I bury my head in a pillow. "I end up feeling like a perv and that causes me to turn red and stammer all over the place."

I can see Naru smiling her head slightly."Why don't you just say that you get really embarrassed when around other people?" she offers. "Or you could just tell her exactly how you feel."

I shake my head vigorously. "I don't know how long she'll be staying, and I don't need to go making a bad impression on he first day. She'd probably also mention it to Mom or Dad, and that kind of thing doesn't sit well with them."

"Well, there's not much more I can do, except wish you the best of luck. Oh, I know! How would you like to see some of my new dresses?"

"I'd love it!" I reply enthusiastically, temporarily forgetting the blonde who was currently turning my life upside down.

But it doesn't last. As I trudge home a couple hours later, I find myself making the trip as long as possible. When I finally reach the block my house is on, I see my mother driving our car down the driveway and out into the street. Probably going to the store or something like that. I enter my house and reel into the kitchen to get myself something to eat.

"Hello," a sweet voice calls.

I nearly jump out of my skin. Turning my head slowly, I see Minako standing behind me, smiling kindly. I'd been so busy fretting over how I would act around her that I had forgotten she was even at our house. Great, I'm home alone with a girl I have insane crush on. How could this get any worse?

As I turn to say something to her, my foot flies out from under me, having slipped on a wet spot on the floor. My hands reach out instinctively to grab nearest thing, which, in this case, just happens to be Minako. The momentum of my fall also drags her down, and we soon form a tangled mess. When I managed to collect myself, I find my face buried in something soft and sweet-smelling.

Wait, soft and sweet-smelling? A moment later, I come to a shocking realization. As we were falling, Minako's shirt must have lifted up, causing my head to land face first on her exposed stomach.

My reaction is priceless. Rocketing to my feet, I stumble nervously backwards mumbling an apology. However, karma once again has another trick in store for me. In a one-in-a-million chance, my foot finds the frying pan I dropped while falling earlier, and trips on it. This time I tumble backwards, my head slamming into the counter. Everything abruptly goes black.

I'm not sure how long I am unconscious, but when I finally come to, the first thing I notice is the splitting headache I have. The second is that I am in bed, wearing pajamas. Pajamas which I did not change into. Softly descending the stairs, I spy Minako sitting in the living room reading a book. I glance at the clock and start in surprise.

"Eight thirty? Man, I must have my head hard," I mumble,unaware of how loud it sounds in the otherwise silent room.

"Nice to see you awake."

The unexpected sound of Minako's voice sends me tumbling down the stairs.

"That's the second time," I mutter, pulling myself to my feet. I glance over at Minako, who is desperately trying not too laugh.

"What happened?"

"You tripped on a frying pan and hit your head on the counter. It gave you a nasty cut on the back of your head."

"And these?" I gesture to my pajamas.

She looks at me in confusion, then chuckles. "Oh those. Yeah when I put you to bed, I decided it would be best to put you in sleeping clothes. I also changed your undergarments while I was at it."

My face goes bright red and I attempt to formulate a response. Before I can get it out, Minako breaks out into an insane peel of laughter.

"Your face was priceless!" she manages to gasp. After calming down, she motions me to sit down beside her. I do so rather reluctantly.

"Don't worry, I didn't change your clothes. Your mother did. She wasn't expecting you to wake up till tomorrow, and she didn't want your uniform to get wrinkled."

"Where is she now?" I ask.

"Picking up your father and brother from the movies."

I sigh loudly. "I have so much to apologize for."

"You're fine," Minako insisted. "There is one thing I would like to know, though."

"I suppose I owe you that. What do you want to know?"

She grins broadly. "How did my stomach feel?"

Now it's my turn to look confused. When I realize what she's talking about, my face looks like a tomato yet again. Minako goes into another fit of laughter.

"Seriously though, how did it feel. Go ahead, be honest. I won't laugh."

"Uh, well, it felt really soft and sort of bouncy. And it smelled so amazing. That's some good perfume you have. But why do you ask?"

Minako hesitates for a moment. "I've been examining your actions and words to try to figure out the reason why you act so queerly when I'm around."

"And your conclusion?"

Her eyes bore straight into my own. "I think you're crushing on me."

* * *

I know it's kinda short, but I promise later chapters will be longer. Stay tuned for the next chapter. I hope you continue to read.

Also, reviews would be much appreciated. You don't have to, but it let's me know what people think of the story.


	2. The Blood Cross

Hey eveyone. Here it is, chapter 2. And yes, despite my promises that it would be longer, it's till about the same length as the first one.

Warning: This chapter may contain content which is disturbing to younger children. It contains no improper behaviour, but if you are traumatized by blood and/or disscussions about murders, you might not want to read this chapter.

**I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON. **

Hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

I shift slightly self-consciously as Minako waits for for my confirmation or denial of her statement. At last I finally sigh.

"Yeah," I admit reluctantly. "Pathetic isn't it. First I fall head over heels for a girl, then, before I have the guts to tell her about it, she guesses the whole thing!"

"Minako chuckles. "You're fine. It is a little weird being crushed on by a girl, but I'll get used to it."

My stomach lets out a disturbing loud rumble, drawing another smile from Minako. "I don't suppose Mom left me anything to eat?" I ask forlornly.

"I'll make you something. Come on." She walks into the kitchen and I follow, though rather uncertainly. I seem to remember some of Minako's cooking attempts resulting in complete disaster. I decide to give her the benefit of the doubt, and sit down to await the results. She manages throws together some kind of sushi which tastes fairly good, surprisingly enough. As I eat, she heads out back to do something, I'm not sure what. Don't really care either. Just as long as she's not around for me to embarrass myself out of existence. After eating though I discover that I must gravitate toward things which get me in trouble, since my feet are currently taking me out the back door. I find myself sitting down in a chair next to Minako and staring at the ground blankly. The two of us sit like this for a little while, and I note with disturbance that my family still has not returned.

"I hope they're okay," I murmur.

Minako gives me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure they'll be alright." She takes off the sweater she's wearing and drapes it around my shoulders. "Since it's getting cold out, I'm going to get myself something warm to drink. Want anything?"

I nod numbly, not paying her much attention. I'm too caught up in worrying about what might have happened to Mom, Dad, and Shingo. I hear the sound of Minako closing the back door, followed almost immediately by a scream of terror. I leaped to my feat in a flash and rush inside, dreading what I might find. Minako stands in front me held in a trance by the decoration which had suddenly appeared on the living room wall. I quickly decide that it's more like vandalism than a decoration. I guide Minako upstairs to room, away from the cause of her horror. Her hands shake as if they are freezing and the look she gives me resembles that of a scared rabbit. I take the sweater off my back and drape it over her. She tries to give me a small smile of gratitude, but doesn't quite succeed.

"Stay here," I tell her. Mustering an amount of courage and calm surprisingly large for someone like me, I creep downstairs to take a closer look at the latest addition the living room's wallpaper. Despite all my preparations, my stomach still churns at the sight of the large cross painted in dark red which now adorns the wall. I am slightly confused as to what made Minako so terrified, as there seems to be nothing unusual about it, save for the fact that the person who did the painting was obviously an amateur. The sloopy strokes look like something I might have done. Seeing some paint dripping down the wall, I decide that it must also have been done recently. That makes sense, though. Minako and I were not outside for a long time, so it would have been done in a relatively short time. As I continue to watch the paint dripping down the wall, something clicks in my mind as out of place. This paint is dripping way too fast. Approaching the not-so-masterpiece, I carefully place my finger on it. A familiar smell hits my nose but I can't figure out what it is. I carefully touch my finger to my tongue and realization hits me like a bullet.

Blood.

The cross on my wall was painted in blood, human blood by all appearance. That must have been why Minako was so freaked, but, if so, how did she know it was blood?

A creaking sound from behind causes me to turn around, but I find nothing. I turn back for another look at the wall, and jump in surprise. Pinned to the center of the cross is a letter, which I am sure was not there a moment ago. Despite the fact that I fully realize someone else must be down here with me, my curiosity gets the better of me. Removing it from the wall, I gingerly open the letter and read what's inside. For a moment, my heart stops beating.

_If you wish to see your parents and brother alive again, come outside to the front porch. I'll be waiting. Oh, by the way, you need a little practice at the romance game._

The letter was unsigned. Forcing down tears, sobs, and any traces of panic, I head slowly head up the stairs. I'm not sure how much Minako knows, but it's enough to leave her terrified. The last thing she needs is to have me break down and become useless, emotional pile. I enter my room and motion to her.

"I need to leave for a few minutes. I'll be back as soon as I can."

She nods in response and I marvel at how frail she appears. Before I leave, I grab my transformation brooch, just to be safe. As I do, Minako gives me a curious look, giving me the impression that the action meant something to her. I choose not to ask about it, and instead head downstairs and out the front door. Standing to greet me as I exit is tall man with an undeniably American look to his countenance. He is dressed up in a snappy suit and a pair sunglasses completes his 'secret agent' look. His hair is neatly combed and slicked back, and not even a trace of stubble is present on his face. I conclude that this guy must be some sort of neatness maniac.

"Your painting skills are horrible," I tell him with surprising audacity.

"I'd like to see you do better," he replies, obviously unimpressed. "But let's get down to business. I am Agent Leo, head of Blood Cross, Rigel Section. A pleasure to meet you, Usagi Tsukino." He bows politely to me.

"Listen," I speak up, "if you've done anything to my family I'll-"

"Do what?" he interrupts. "When threatening someone, it's best not to do it in pajamas or while simply holding a brooch..." He trails off, leaning in closer for a look. He then steps back, returning to smiling. "Expecting trouble?"

"Only when it come looking for me."

Leo becomes grim. "Well, I'm going to need to take that brooch from you. Can't have any trouble occurring now can we? It might be hazardous to three people's health."

Realizing that I need to comply with his wishes if I want my parents and brother to live very long, I reluctantly hand him my only means of defense.

"Now what do you want?"

"Oh, it's quite simple really." He grabs my arm and holds it up in front of him. Taking what I presume to be a medical syringe from his pocket, he jabs it into my arm and withdraws a tube full of blood. He then replaces the syringe before letting my arm go.

"Thank you for your cooperation." He smirks evilly. "This," he holds up my brooch, "will be returned in a couple hours along with your family." Turning his back to me, he walks over to his car, gets in, and drives off. I return to my living room, mind racing.

"Let's see," I ponder. "He works for a group called 'Blood Cross' and there's a cross painted in blood on the wall. I wager that's more than simple coincidence. He also extracted a syringe of blood from my arm. Why? The answer must be that he needed a fresh sample of my blood, for he could have taken older samples from the local hospital. For some reason, the painting on the terrified Minako. That must mean she knows something I don't and possibly may have previous experience with this group."

My ruminations complete, I head back upstairs to check on Minako. She looks up at my entry, her eyes brimming with questions. Something in my demeanor stops her from asking them, and instead she motions me to sit down beside her.

"Minako," I say, sitting down, "I need to ask you a couple things."

She nods her assent. "Go ahead."

"You showed a quite a reaction to the painting on the wall downstairs. Why?"

Minako tries to collect herself. "Because I saw one like it before at my house, only my mother was lying dead beneath it. When I saw this one tonight, I presumed someone was coming to kill me. Did find out a reason for it being there?"

"Yes. I think it might have been meant as a warning to me. I found a letter pinned to it which ordered me to go outside, if I wanted to see my parents and brother alive again. When steeped onto the front porch, some guy claiming he was from a group called 'Blood Cross' took some blood from my arm and then just walked off, saying that my family would be released in a couple hours. Did anything like that happen with your mother?"

She shakes her head. "No. Dad and I simply came home and found her dead. Do you think your mom is going to be killed?"

"I don't know," I reply, a tear slipping down my face, "I really don't know."

* * *

Usagi has turned sleuth. Who knew she had it in her? Anyway, thanks for reading. If you spot any mistakes in spelling or grammar I'd love for you to point them out to me. You could also leave a review while you're at it ;) Thy're greatly appreciated.


	3. This Means War

Sorry for the long update time, life got kinda crazy for a while and I ended up forgetting about the story. For that, I apologize. I also apologize for any inaccuracies, as I haven't watched Sailor Moon in a while.

If you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, feel free to point them out.

Thanks to all the great people who have commented on this story.

I do not own Sailor Moon.

* * *

I toss and turn in bed, unable to sleep. Despite Agent Leo's claim that my family will be returned safely, I find myself fearing for them. The thought of what happened to Mianko's mother causes me to shiver. What if my mother is next? And if she does survive, how is that going to make Minako feel? Will she be upset that my mother survived while her's didn't?

These and other similar thoughts nearly drive me crazy, and I decide that my likelihood of getting to sleep tonight is very small. I creep quietly down the stairs so as not to wake Minako up and take another look at the blood cross.

"What does it mean?" I ask myself quietly. "Why a cross and why blood? Is there some kind of significance? And why did they want my blood? Did it need to be fresh, or did they just prefer to get it straight from me?" I sigh in desperation. "So many questions and no answers for them."

A yawn from the direction of the stairs draws my attention. Minako fumbles clumsily down them, obviously still half-asleep. I can't help but notice how cute she looks, clad in PJs and wearing a dopey look on her face. I push those ridiculous thoughts out of my head and try to stay focused. Minako walks up beside me, rubbing her eyes fiercely.

"Can't sleep?" she asks rhetorically.

I nod in response, misery flooding back. Biting my lip, I attempt to keep my mouth closed, for I will start sobbing uncontrollably if I open it. If the worry is this bad...

Minako seems to know what I'm thinking, for she looks at me sympathetically. I feel horrible, knowing that I'm moping around when there's a good chance my mother will be okay. I just can't help myself though.

"It'll be all right," Minako tells me softly.

Impulsively, I throw my arms around her, bury my head in her shoulder, and begin sob. Minako hesitates at first, then returns the hug. The kindly gesture has a calming effect on me, and I manage to regain control of myself.

"Sorry for being a big baby," I say at last.

"There's nothing wrong with being worried," Minako replies.

We stand there in each others embrace for a long time, as the clock on the wall slowly ticks away the minutes. When we finally part, I feel soothed and relaxed, and a sudden wave of sleepiness washes over me. Mumbling "good night" I stumble up the stairs and back into bed. As soon as my head hits my pillow, sleep overtakes me.

"Usagi!"

My head jerks up. Was that Minako's voice? I squint my eyes at the bright light flooding in through my windows. Something golden glints at the foot of my bed.

"My transformation brooch?" I ask myself. "What is..."

The memories of last night come back to me. Jumping out of bed, I fly down the stairs, and straight into my mother. I stand speechless with joy.

Oh, Mom!" I wrap my arms around her, never wanting to let go. "I'm so glad you're okay," I sob. I greet my father and brother in a similar fashion. After everyone settles down, my mother makes an observation.

"Usagi, where's Minako?"

I look around, asking myself the same question. An hour goes by but still no answer has presented itself. I am torn between a feeling of relief that Minako isn't around for me to embarrass myself, and an agonizing worry for her safety. In an attempt to hide both, I ask my parents exactly what happened, also hoping to get answers to some of the questions I've been asking myself.

"Well," my mother begins, "your father, brother, and I were getting ready to leave when an American man in a suit walked up to us. He told us that you were in grave danger and we needed to come with him immediately. Not suspecting anything, we followed him to car in a dark corner of the parking lot. My last memory is of checking my watch before everything went black. When I came to I found that the same thing had happened to Kenji and Shingo. Strangely enough, we were sitting in the car."

My mom stops to answer the telephone, so I go up to my room to try and piece together more information.

"Okay," I tell myself. "They used Mom, Dad, and Shingo to get a sample of my blood, that much I know. My main question, why they did it, is still left unanswered. And now I've got a new question. Where is Minako?"

I stare at the walls, as if expecting them to have an answer. Predictably, they say nothing.

"Wait," I mutter to myself, dashing down the stairs into the living room. Sure enough, the cross on the wall is gone. My parents haven't made any comment about it, so I assume that they didn't clean it up. Minako might have, but something lends me to think she would leave it as evidence.

"The most sensible explanation is that someone from this Blood Cross came back and removed it. That would also explain my transformation brooch being on my bed."

Then, another thought suggests itself. "Could that be the reason for Minako's disappearance?" I ask myself.

The rest of the day drags by slowly, with no sign of Minako. Just before dinner, I get a surprise when Naru comes over. My Mom invites her to stay for dinner, her parents agree. As I eat, I can't help but think of Minako. I mentally berate myself for being such a lovesick idiot, then pick at my food for the rest of the meal.

After dinner, Naru and I sit out on the porch, watching the sun dip beneath Tokyo's skyline. I am strangely silent, and my friend picks up on it quickly.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" she asks. "Your mother told me."

I simply nod, staring at a black cloud on the horizon. I frown in confusion as the cloud appears to grow bigger. A familiar smell hits my nose. Almost like wood burning...

I come to a startling realization, as does Naru several seconds later. One revelation follows another when I notice the fire is coming from Naru's neighborhood. She is out of her chair in seconds and bolting down the street. I follow as best I can, but my pace cannot match that of the panic-stricken girl. When we finally arrive at her house, our worst fears on confirmed. The building is wreathed in flames which seem to leap higher every second. Naru rushes up to her father, who is standing by the curb amidst a crowd of neighbors.

"Daddy!"She calls. "Where's Mom?"

Her father shakes his head sadly. This small gesture causes Naru to burst into tears. He embraces her, weeping himself. As I step back out of respect for their privacy my eyes stay over to one wall which seems to be relativity untouched by the fire. My blood chills.

Painted in what I imagine to be blood, a red cross adorns the side of the house. Moments later, the wall collapses, taking the roof with it. My fists clench angrily, blood pounding in my ears.

"Why?" I ask myself quietly. "What did she ever do to you?"

My parents walk up behind me, silently watching the giant funeral pyre.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of a tall man wearing a black suit. I'm almost sure I can see the smirk on his face, and I know instantly who it is. In that instant, I make a decision. I'm not going to stand by and let these people do what ever they want.

"This means war."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Keep an eye out for the next chapter.


	4. Project Mirror

Hey eveyone. Quicker update this time. I'm going to try to keep it that way too. As a heads up, there's a big time jump in this chapter.

Thanks to all who are reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any related characters. I do own Agent Leo and the Blood Cross.

* * *

Tonight, I also find it impossible to sleep. Images of cross painted in blood haunt my mind, tearing me apart from the inside. The sound of Naru's sobbing echoes in my ears, driving me almost to a frenzy. The senshi inside of me clamors to get out, demanding retribution for these crimes.

What disturbs me the most, is that I _**want **_revenge. Deep down, there is a yearning for the deaths of those responsible.

"I thought I was supposed to be a clutz," I murmur in confusion. "Where is this coming from?"

"From the past."

I lift my head from my pillow at the sound of vaguely familiar voice. My eyes scan the room for its source, but see nothing.

"Who's there?' I ask uncertainly.

The voice ignores my question and continues. "Whenever you thought someone was receiving the slightest injustice, you refused to sit back and do nothing. There's no reason for that to be different now."

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying to do what comes naturally to you."

I sit up straight, but still cannot see the voice's origin. "What do you mean?"

But I get no response. Confused, I clamber out of bed and get dressed. For my parents' sake, I try to act my usual bumbling self, but I'm not sure I succeed. They can tell something is wrong. I often find myself sitting and reexamining all of the information I have gathered, trying desperately to find a motive for the Blood Cross's actions.

Naru and her father are around quite a bit now. Mom and Dad invited them to stay at our house til they can find other lodging. Just thinking about their tragedy makes me sick.

Minako's absence is also driving me crazy. What happened to her? Was she kidnapped by the Blood Cross? Is she...

I don't want to finish that thought. With all this pressure, I know I'm going to snap, it's just a question of when, where, and how bad. As a result, I try to keep a distance from those I care about, something which destroys me from the inside.

The days go on, and my fake shell finally falls apart. I become grumpy and depressed, contemplating suicide multiple times. The waiting is killing me, literally. Absolutely nothing is happening.

It has now been about three weeks since the appearance of the Blood Cross. The police are convinced that the fire and Minako's disappearance are simply the work of an average criminal. I still haven't told anyone about Agent Leo's visit to the house. My depression just continues to get worse, and my parents are growing very worried. They've sent me to multiple psychiatrists all of whom have done absolutely nothing to help.

Then, on a bright sunny day, it happens. I am sitting on the front porch, brooding as usual. Naru sits beside me, trying to get a response. I am ignoring her, much to her distress. By this time, I feel like I'm at the point of insanity. I note with surprise that Naru has grown strangely quiet. Looking up, I see the reason for her silence. A meteor shower races through the sky, heading our way. The falling rocks get closer and I realize that they are coming straight for us.

No, not us. Me.

I take off, running as fast as I can, trying to reach a less populated area. I curse myself for being so careless. I've been so busy worrying about might happen that I've altogether forgotten to prepare for any such events.

I grab my brooch and quickly transform into Sailor Moon, allowing me to double me my pace. I leap hurriedly form roof to roof, but the objects, which I now know are not meteors, continue to close in. In moments, they shoot over my head and bury themselves in houses in front of me. Sickened, I come to halt, noting that they are actually some kind of pods. I estimate that there are six of them.

The one closest to me bursts open, revealing a large, centipede-like creature. I feel an unknown power flow into me, followed by a feeling of rage. Removing my tiara from my head, I strike an aggressive stance, silently taunting the thing. As it charges, I pull my arm back and let fly. My tiara zips through the air, hitting the creature in the head. It falls down dead.

I stare in shock at the tiara. "It has never been that powerful," I murmur. A loud roar rips me from my thoughts, and I spot another of the creatures approaching. I launch the tiara again, cutting in half. By now, my shock has faded and been replaced by a feeling of malignant joy. I bask in this new power and smile defiantly and three more approach. With a thought, I summon the crescent moon wand and replace the tiara on my forehead. Using the wand, I generate a ball of golden energy, and fire it at my attackers. Two of them fall, and the other leaps toward me. Just before it lands on me, I change the wand into a sword and thrust it upward.

"Five down," I mutter, "one to go."

But the sixth one seems reluctant to reveal itself. I'm confused, for how does something of that size hide? As I scan the pods, I spot my reflection in one of them.

Wait, that's not my reflection.

I'm no stranger to the idea of cloning, so I know instantly what this copy of me is. Momentarily, pieces of information begin to fall into place. I scowl as Agent Leo walks into view.

"Let me see if I get this straight," I address him. "You needed a fresh sample of my blood to create her." I point to the clone.

"What a genius!" he replies mockingly. "What other bits of genius do you have to share?"

I ignore him and continue. "To ensure my cooperation, you threatened my parents, also insuring that I wouldn't report you. Am I right so far?"

He nods, still very disinterested.

"But that's not all. Despite your efforts at surprise, it's obvious you were anticipating me bringing my brooch, thus allowing you to examine it. But finding out nothing, you returned thinking it was useless. It appears that you were also punished for that, my guess is by whipping."

My last remark seemed to unnerve him. "My boss is very unforgiving. But how did you know?"

"The way you were walking a moment ago was identical to that of one who has recently had his legs whipped."

He regards me curiously, obviously impressed. Frankly, I am as well, for I've no clue as to where that reasoning came from. I don't even know how a whipped person walks. It's like I tapped into some sort of hidden knowledge.

"There is still one thing puzzles me though."

He grins. "You're referring to my last bit of handiwork. It's quite simple really. I had nothing against the family, but knew the girl was close to you. I knew that killing the mother would destroy her, which would in turn destroy you."

"But why?"

"Well," he replies, "what have you been doing the past three weeks. Moping, correct?"

My mind finally makes the connection. "Instead of being out hunting down you."

"That allowed me to complete Project Mirror without interruption. What is one life and a house anyway?"

I steam at his comment, but manage to maintain my composure. "What about Minako?"

He winks slyly. "That you'll have to figure out yourself. That is, if you can."

I gaze around at wreckage caused by the pods' landing. "And all the deaths you just caused?"

Agent Leo shrugs. "It's no big deal. Lives get lost in the business. These people just happened to be in the wrong place. Nothing I can do about that."

His lack of care finally causes me to snap. I raise my sword leap at him. Much to my surprise, I found myself thrown backwards. Fuming, I jump to my feet to see the clone standing between me and Agent Leo. I take a couple steps forward, and she does likewise. I raise my arm, she follows suit. Any movement I make she simultaneously mimics. It's as if I'm looking at myself through a mirror.

The shriek of police sirens catch my attention. I don't know if Leo has any control over them, but I don't want to be around when they show up. Teleporting would be the best option, but I don't have the power to do that alone. Unless...

I walk forward until I come face to face with my clone. I begin to summon the power to attempt a teleport, counting on her to do the same. Sure enough, she matches my actions exactly. Once I reach the peak of my power, I reach out with my hands, bringing them in contact with the clone's. The world around me disappears in a flash of light.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it. I you want to leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Anonymous reviews welcome. If you saw any spelling or grammar mistakes, feel free to let me know.


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